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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
WHAT’S HAPPENING SCOTUS to decide whether to hear challenge by Maine lobsterman Portland, Maine The Supreme Court will decide this month whether to hear a lobster fisherman’s challenge to a rule requiring electronic tracking devices on boats. Maine lobster fisherman Frank Thompson filed a lawsuit against the state’s marine resources department over the GPS tracker requirement. He argues it constitutes unreasonable search and seizure. He has appealed to the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court denied his claim last year. The case could have broad consequences for the American commercial fishing industry. Authorities say the monitoring program is crucial for understanding lobster populations, which are declining in New England.
Trump slams Supreme Court for rejecting push to restrict mail ballots Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump is assailing the Supreme Court after it rejected his push to restrict mail-in voting in this year’s midterms. He said in a social media post Tuesday that the justices who opposed him were “not the people I interviewed.” The Trump administration had made a last-minute push to have the U.S. Postal Service play a central role in deciding who would be able to receive a mail ballot. But state election officials argued there was not enough time to make the changes for the Nov. 3 midterm elections — and said their systems were already secure and accurate.
Federal authorities allege more than $10M in childcare payment fraud in California Federal authorities have charged a dozen people for fraudulently collecting more than $10 million in childcare payments without having actual attendees at their facilities. This is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to address fraud in government programs. The defendants allegedly operated fake at-home childcare facilities in Southern California, submitting false attendance records. Authorities arrested all 12 defendants on Thursday. Some were not even in the country when submitting claims. The case is larger than a similar fraud case involving Feeding Our Future in Minnesota.
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Remember Albemarle Fire Department’s Ladder 1 hung an enormous American flag over City Lake Park on Friday, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, alongside the city’s monthly Food Truck Friday event.
Norwood receives full funding for Lake Tillery park property Two grants will cover the full cost of acquiring 9.6 acres By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal NORWOOD — The town of Norwood has secured enough grant funding to cover the full cost of acquiring nearly 10 acres of waterfront property for a future public park on Lake Tillery. At the Norwood Town
Council meeting Sept. 8, Mayor Linda Campbell announced that the town had been officially awarded two grants totaling $588,650 for the proposed Lake Tillery Park property on Bowers Road. “We have received information that we have been awarded two different grants that we applied for for the purchase of the Lake Tillery property on Bowers Road,” Campbell said. “Together, these two grants will pay 100% of the cost of acquiring this property.”
The town received a $294,325 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, along with a separate $294,325 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the National Park Service. Together, the awards will allow Norwood to purchase 9.6 acres featuring approximately 725 feet of shoreline along Lake Tillery. Town officials plan to develop the property into a
LOCATIONS
• Albemarle-East/ Anderson Rd. • North Oakboro/ Red Cross Rd. • South Oakboro/ Rocky River Rd. • Mt. Pleasant • Biscoe • Locust
Linda Campbell, Norwood mayor
See FUNDING, page A4
inside Stanly YMCA addresses park vandalism, damaged playground equipment
First Lady Melania Trump visited an N.C. school Tuesday to promote an expansion of her Be Best initiative. For more, turn to page A2.
“We apologize for any inconvenience to our families who enjoy using this playground,” George Crooker, CEO of Stanly County Family YMCA
Repeated damage could lead to park access restrictions By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Family YMCA is considering changes to public access at its park after a string of vandalism incidents damaged playground equipment and forced the closure of public restrooms. In a Sept. 8 statement, Stanly YMCA CEO George Crooker said the organization
has long provided Charles Cannon Memorial YMCA Park, located at 115 C.B. Crook Drive in Albemarle, as a community space for children, families, gatherings and recreation. However, the organization’s staff and board are currently discussing whether to close the park until repairs are completed, reduce public access to limited hours or eventually make the playground private. Two playground slides were found broken in early See YMCA, page A2
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“The town is excited about this opportunity to acquire this property and will begin the planning process for the development of this park.”
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
WEDNESDAY
9.16.26 #145
As AI debate flares, Melania STANLY Trump tours North Carolina school happening to≈see technology at work Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County:
The first lady announced her Be Best initiative would provide AI learning platforms to Ashe County students
“Join the conversation” North State Journal (USPS 518620) (ISSN 2471-1365) Trip Hoffend Publisher Jim Sills VP of Local Newspapers Cory Lavalette Senior Editor Jordan Golson Local News Editor Shawn Krest Sports Editor Dan Reeves Features Editor Lauren Rose Design Editor Jesse Deal Reporter ADVERTISING Kateland Treece Advertising Representative Published Wednesday and Sunday as part of North State Journal 1548 NC 24-27 BYP W Albemarle NC 28001 TO SUBSCRIBE OR PLACE LEGAL NOTICE: 704-982-2121 STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM Annual Subscription Price: $100.00 Periodicals Postage Paid at Albemarle NC and at additional mailing offices POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh NC 27607
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SCUSA Transportation General Public Service is available to all Stanly County residents. Providing service to people in need of transportation to Medical Appts, Work Personal Business & other locations. Wheelchair accessible vehicles. available.
Give us a call Mon-Fri 8am-5pm to schedule transportation.
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Sept. 17 Landmark Lounge: Alameda Theatre
By Collin Binkley The Associated Press JEFFERSON — First lady Melania Trump visited a school in northwestern North Carolina on Tuesday to talk to elementary school students, teachers and staff about how they’re using technology in the classroom. Her long-planned trip to Ashe County on Tuesday came as tech and political leaders debate about how best to regulate artificial intelligence. Prominent tech leaders have expressed concerns about the dangers of the technology and called for more oversight, while President Donald Trump on Monday angrily dismissed the idea that more limits are needed, calling it a “hoax.” Many parents have also expressed alarm about the widespread adoption of tablets with access to sites like YouTube even in classrooms with the youngest students. The first lady visited Mountain View Elementary School in rural Jefferson, which has a focus on using AI, robotics and engineering. She opened her trip by recognizing the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, which kept students out of school for more than 30 days as the community grappled with recovering from the emergency. Mountain View’s neighborhood flooded and the school was transformed into a distribution center. “Your story is incredible,” she told the students and school administrators. “North Carolina is the definition of resilience. Toughness in times of adversity is ingrained in the Tar Heel State’s character.” She also announced that her Be Best initiative would be helping to provide 1,500 students in Ashe County with subscriptions to StudyFetch, an AI learning platform, and that Mountain View Elemen-
YMCA from page A1 July and were determined by the organization to have been damaged by vandalism. The equipment was taped off and signs were posted asking visitors to stay away from the damaged areas. New slides were ordered July 6 at a cost of $15,000 and are expected to arrive during the second week of October. Installation will then have to be scheduled with playground professionals before the playground can be inspected and fully repaired. “Unfortunately, this is typical for this type of equipment,” Crooker said of the wait for replacement parts. “These are not pieces we keep on hand.”
5:30-7:30 p.m. A small-group tour of the 1916 movie house, with beer samples and popcorn while you wait. Space is limited. Alameda Theatre 147 N. 2nd St. Albemarle
Sept. 18 KENT NISHIMURA / POOL VIA AP
First lady Melania Trump embraces a student at Mountain View Elementary School in Jefferson in Ashe County on Tuesday. tary and other schools in the district would be receiving 100 Jetson Nano Developer Kits — small computers for running AI applications. “Maybe one of you will create the next great robot,” she said. “And if you do, make sure you bring it to the White House to show me.” The first lady made headlines earlier this year when she walked into a White House event with a humanoid robot at a summit she hosted with other first spouses about empowering children with technology. Last September, at a meeting of a White House task force on AI in education, she noted that the technology was boosting economic growth but also expressed some caution. “As leaders and parents, we must manage AI’s growth responsibly,” she said at last year’s event. “During this primitive stage, it is our duty to treat AI as we would our own children — empowering, but with watchful guidance.” Technology in education is one of the first lady’s signature issues, along with advocacy for foster children, and lobbying Congress to pass the “Take
It Down Act” making revenge porn a crime. It’s the first lady’s fourth trip to North Carolina since 2025. She accompanied the president to meet families affected by Hurricane Helene at the beginning of his term, and subsequently spent time with military families in other parts of the state. The state is home to one of the most closely watched Senate races of the November midterm elections, pitting Michael Whatley, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, against Democrat Roy Cooper, a former governor. The president is traveling to Gastonia in the southern part of the state on Wednesday for a rally for Whatley.
Crooker said the YMCA initially considered closing the playground after the slides were damaged but chose to keep it open with signage directing visitors away from the affected equipment. More recent problems have led to additional restrictions, as the YMCA’s public restrooms have been closed indefinitely because of further vandalism and the discovery of drug paraphernalia, according to the statement. “With numerous and continued disrespectful actions, we have been forced to consider drastic steps to ensure community safety,” Crooker said. “We regret being forced to make difficult decisions that affect our community due to the poor actions of a few.
We apologize for any inconvenience to our families who enjoy using this playground.” The YMCA spends an average of $17,500 annually on basic repairs for the playground and public restrooms. Crooker noted that repeated damage has created expenses beyond what the organization budgets for routine maintenance. The statement also clarified that YMCA Park is owned and maintained by the Stanly County Family YMCA, not the city of Albemarle. Residents with concerns about the park are encouraged to contact the YMCA directly, either by phone at 704-982-1916 or via the email addresses available at stanlyymca.org/ask-y.
“Maybe one of you will create the next great robot. And if you do, make sure you bring it to the White House to show me.” Melania Trump, first lady
Locust Monthly Cruise-in 5-8 p.m. The town’s third-Friday cruise-in continues through October. Bring lawn chairs. Locust Town Center 186 Ray Kennedy Drive Locust
Sept. 19 Relay for Life: Carnival for a Cure 3-9 p.m. A free American Cancer Society Relay carnival with live music, vendors, food and luminaries. YMCA Park 115 C.B. Crook Drive Albemarle
Rhythm & Brews Lawn Concert 7 p.m. Local favorites Bucky and Laurel Hinson plus special guests play country rock, Americana and folk. Free. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. 1852 Isaiah Snuggs House 112 N. Third St. Albemarle
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
THE CONVERSATION Trip Hoffend, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor VISUAL VOICES
COLUMN | LARRY ELDER
The David Duke standard — the Hasan Piker exception
Democratic leaders denounce antisemitism while avoiding the name of an antisemite welcomed by prominent elected Democrats.
REMEMBER THE MEDIA FIRESTORM in 2016 when Donald Trump supposedly failed to denounce former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke? Trump, appearing on CNN, claimed he did not know enough about Duke to disavow him. Trump later blamed a faulty earpiece and repudiated Duke and the KKK. But the episode became Exhibit A for those who accused Trump of using racial “dog whistles.” Then-Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan declared, “If a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican Party, there can be no evasion and no games. They must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry.” Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “Senate Republicans condemn David Duke, the KKK and his racism.” When Duke later announced a Republican candidacy for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus posted on Twitter, “David Duke & his hateful bigotry have no place in the Republican Party & the RNC will never support his candidacy under any circumstance.” Now consider the Democratic Party’s treatment of Hasan Piker, the socialist streamer who said, “America deserved 9/11.” He called Israel “the Jewish ISIS” and declared Hamas “1,000 times better than Israel.” Piker warned that if American Jews continue to show, as Piker put it, to be “singularly invested in Israel,” eventually someone would “take action” against them. Unlike Duke in 2016, Piker is not a politically marginal figure with little influence. The AntiDefamation League estimates he has more
than 11 million combined followers. He has interviewed or appeared online with Democrats Sen. Bernie Sanders; Reps. Alexandria OcasioCortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar; New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani; Rep. Ro Khanna; and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Piker campaigned for Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed called Piker’s 9/11 statement “dumb,” and El-Sayed said, “Of course I don’t think 9/11 was justified.” But he did not disavow Piker. After Piker’s latest remarks about American Jews, El-Sayed released a statement condemning antisemitism and political violence — without naming Piker. DNC Chairman Ken Martin condemned blaming American Jews for threats and violence as “dangerous, wrong and antisemitic.” He did not name Piker. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called the claim that American Jews invite violence against themselves “dangerous and antisemitic” and said it “should not be tolerated.” He did not name Piker. The next day he said he meant Piker. Then there is Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. For years, Schumer has called the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement “antisemitic,” describing its double standard as “the 21st-century version of antiSemitism.” Piker supports BDS, as do Mamdani and El-Sayed. Yet Schumer fails to call Piker, Mamdani or El-Sayed antisemitic — and Schumer has endorsed El-Sayed. Former DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, on the other hand, said, “Hasan Piker is a stone-cold anti-Semite. Period. Stop. ... There is no welcome mat for anti-
Semites and bigots in the Democratic Party.” Yet El-Sayed even refuses to promise to stop campaigning with the man he refers to as “Hasan.” Republican leaders did not issue careful statements opposing “hate” while delicately avoiding Duke’s name. They identified him, condemned him and told voters that neither he nor his racism belonged in their party. Democratic leaders denounce antisemitism while avoiding the name of an antisemite welcomed by prominent elected Democrats and used as a campaign surrogate by their Michigan Senate nominee. The blatantly racist Duke has no meaningful Republican constituency. The blatantly antisemitic Piker, on the other hand, commands millions of young followers coveted by progressive Democrats. This means denouncing Piker could provoke the party’s ascendant and increasingly antisemitism-tolerant socialist wing. For years, Democrats and their media allies demanded that Republican leaders answer for every offensive figure somewhere on the right. Silence was complicity. Evasion was endorsement. Failure to name names was cowardice. Where is that standard now? Democrats like Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. John Fetterman and Rep. Debbie Dingell have condemned Piker by name. Yet Ken Martin, Jeffries, Schumer and El-Sayed repeat the words their former party chairwoman had the decency to say: Hasan Piker is “a stone-cold anti-Semite” and has no place in the party. Until then, the party that lectured “racist” Republicans about Duke shows their cry for moral clarity from Trump was not about morality or bigotry. It was about politics. Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
COLUMN | REP. RICH MCCORMICK
Birth tourism is a loophole; it is time to close it This is not a gray area. It is fraud, and it is organized.
AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP should never be for sale. Right now, it is. Foreign nationals are paying thousands of dollars to predatory businesses that arrange travel, housing, hospital care and coaching on how to mislead immigration officers, all to secure American citizenship for their unborn children. The process is straightforward: travel to the United States shortly before giving birth, deliver the child on American soil and return home. The child is now a citizen. This is birth tourism. And it is a deliberate exploitation of our laws. To be American is more than a piece of paper. It is a bond between an individual and a nation built on a promise. It carries constitutional rights, civic responsibilities and the full protection of the United States government. When foreign nationals pay a business to manufacture that bond for their child, they are not participating in the American story. They are purchasing it. Some birth tourism operations openly target wealthy clients from adversarial nations, including China and Russia. They help obtain visas, secure housing, coordinate hospital stays and complete government paperwork. Some go further, coaching clients on how to conceal the true purpose of their trip from immigration officials. This is not a gray area. It is fraud, and it is organized. Congress has looked the other way for too long. That is why I introduced the Ban Birth Tourism Act in the House, with Sen. Marsha
Blackburn leading companion legislation in the Senate. The bill is targeted. It makes foreign nationals inadmissible when they seek to enter the United States primarily to give birth and obtain citizenship for their child. It makes birth tourism a deportable offense under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Critically, it does not go further than that. The legislation preserves protections for legitimate travelers seeking medical care. It does not affect lawful immigrants building lives in this country. It draws a clear line between people who respect our system and those who exploit it, and that distinction matters. Georgia’s 7th Congressional District is home to people from every corner of the world. Many followed our laws, waited their turn, raised families and earned their place in the American story. I am proud to represent them. Enforcing our immigration laws is not an attack on legal immigrants. It protects the integrity of the system they chose to respect. We maintain a legal immigration system and a naturalization process because citizenship is serious. It should require more than a plane ticket and a hospital package. I flew missions along the southern border as a Marine in the early 1990s. I spent years as an emergency room physician, watching how failures in government policy eventually reach real people and real communities. Both experiences taught me the same thing: Ignoring a problem does not make it disappear. It allows the problem to grow. Every nation must decide who may enter,
who may remain and who belongs to its political community. Without that authority, there is no sovereignty, and without sovereignty, there is no nation. The Ban Birth Tourism Act does not attempt to resolve every debate surrounding birthright citizenship. It closes a specific, documented loophole that allows foreign nationals and the businesses coaching them to manipulate our laws for profit. It is a focused response to a real problem. This should not be a partisan issue. Temporary visas must not be obtained through deception. Businesses must not profit by teaching clients how to evade our laws. American citizenship must never become a commodity. I served in uniform to defend this country. I practiced medicine in rooms where problems could not be ignored. Now I serve in Congress, where the same standard applies. It is time to close this loophole. Pass the Ban Birth Tourism Act. Dr. Rich McCormick is an emergency physician, decorated veteran and the U.S. representative for Georgia’s 7th Congressional District. This column was first published by Daily Caller News Foundation.
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
A Core Scientific data center, in Dalton, Georgia, earlier this month.
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Trump downplays need to check AI development, says he doesn’t want to cede edge to China The president’s position contrasts with recent calls from tech CEOs to slow AI development By Darlene Superville and Didi Tang The Associated Press
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FUNDING from page A1 handicap-accessible waterfront park. Preliminary plans call for a playground, parking areas, walking trail, gazebos, picnic shelter, fishing pier, canoe and kayak launch and several activity stations. Under the terms of the grants, Norwood will have up to three years to make the property accessible to the public.
“The town is excited about this opportunity to acquire this property and will begin the planning process for the development of this park,” Campbell said. She thanked residents who supported the grant applications, along with the Norwood Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, Norwood Central Business Group, James P. Lowder VFW Post
DUBLIN — President Donald Trump on Sunday played down the need for his administration to check the development of artificial intelligence, saying he worried about ceding America’s edge over China in a global competition and that winning would help address the risks from the advancing technology. While acknowledging the need for some regulation, Trump provided no specifics about potential rules and attributed warnings about the technology moving too quickly and with little oversight to “negative forces” he did not identify, though industry pioneers have raised such concerns. “We can put guardrails, we can do this and that, but I think you have a lot of negative forces that are bringing it up that ... shouldn’t be bringing it up, and they’re bringing up things that won’t happen,” Trump told reporters during a weekend trip to Ireland. “But whoever wins with AI wins.” Asked later Sunday if he was trying to minimize the risks from AI, Trump said, “I’m not downplaying,” adding that artificial intelligence is “going to be more good than bad, but by a lot.” Speaking with reporters during the flight back to Washington, D.C., he repeated his earlier comment regarding the stakes for “whoever wins AI.” The Republican president spoke a day after Dario Amodei, CEO of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, said the industry should put the brakes on its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. Other tech leaders, including Elon Musk and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, publicly agreed with Amodei. Asked by a reporter if the industry should slow down or be regulated, Trump said after watching a golfer tee off in the Irish Open at his resort in Doonbeg that the United States is leading China in the development of AI and “frankly, I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI wins.” Chinese President Xi Jinping is due at the White House later in September to meet with Trump, and AI likely will be among the items they discuss. AI has become a major election-year issue in the U.S. as some of the country’s largest companies seed small towns
6183 and Norwood Lions Club. “This support was instrumental in developing the two competitive grant applications,” Campbell said. “We are excited about this next chapter in providing recreational opportunities for our citizens and providing this additional enhancement to the quality of life of our community.” Gov. Josh Stein announced the Parks and Recreation Trust
with a national network of computing warehouses while Americans from both parties increasingly raise alarms about less farmland and water supplies and rising electricity bills. Trump has kept up his support for data centers even as both Republicans and Democrats run from them and many communities try to block them. Former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, said his party should make AI a campaign issue. “I would talk about this, and I would say, ‘Here’s our plan for safety, here’s our plan for making sure our kids are not corrupted by this.’ ... I would be thinking about the economic impacts in very concrete ways and understanding what does it mean if there’s going to be job displacement. Where is that going to hit? How are we going to respond?” he said at an event last week with the top Democrat in the U.S. House, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, according to a transcript released by his office. White House meetings, call for action by members of Congress Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council at the White House, said he expects meetings will be held this week involving administration officials who oversee cyber and science and technology policy to discuss the next steps. Trump also could meet with members of Congress, some of whom have also been sounding alarms about the fast pace of AI development. “I think the president wants to hear from them as well,” Hassett said. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) acknowledged the need for “some guardrails, some safety measures” so AI “doesn’t run away.” But, like Trump, he also wants to ensure the U.S. does not “lose our edge in the global competition on this with China because that would be a national security threat.” Johnson said industry leaders need to be summoned for “one big meeting and work this out together in the same room.” He said he has discussed the issue with Trump and believes a meeting held quickly should be the “next step.” “So we’re going to pull everybody together and make sure we do this in the right way,” Johnson said, adding that it is a “top priority for me and for the Congress.” “But we don’t need everybody to panic right now,” Johnson said. Jeffries criticized Republican leaders for allowing members to go back to their districts for the final part of September.
Fund award Sept. 3 as part of more than $9.8 million distributed to 25 local park and recreation projects across North Carolina. Stein praised the statewide investment in local parks and recreation projects. “North Carolina’s natural beauty and outdoor recreation help make our state such a great place to live, work and visit,” Stein said. “These invest-
“We should take decisive action now so that we can slow down, as the CEOs have recently acknowledged … the pace of development in order to protect the American people and ensure that AI is proceeding safely,” Jeffries said. Action on AI will be a “high priority” when House Democrats meet Tuesday as a group. Neither Johnson nor Jeffries provided concrete steps about what Congress might do. Lawmakers agree that more guardrails are needed, but even narrow attempts at imposing rules have fallen apart over the years, evidence of the congressional reluctance to regulate the technology industry. Industry insider urges cooperation between Washington, Beijing Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic employee who resigned over AI concerns and has gone public with his fears, argued for international rules along with industry self-regulation. Coxon said he has grown concerned that AI models would soon gain super capabilities that could exceed human control. “You’re building a human-level or superhuman-level mind, without understanding what it wants, or thinks, or the way it thinks,” Coxon said. At a time of a fierce global competition for AI dominance, Coxon also urged cooperation between the U.S. and China, the two countries who are leading the race, to slow down and address safety. “I do hope that the people in China who are looking at the same problems as we are, so they’re trying to build the same technology, will come to the same conclusion that it has to be done in a measured manner, and it should be easy to cooperate on some sort of mutual — of mutual slowing,” Coxon said. Otherwise, he said, “we risk running the same race with China, which could be equally dangerous.” White House adviser challenges AI leaders over regulation Tech founder and investor David Sacks responded to the AI leaders’ calls for regulation with a social media post challenging them. Sacks, co-chairman of a White House advisory council on science and technology, said Amodei and other leaders are the ones setting the pace for development. Sacks said they have the power to slow development on their own. “The easiest way not to build superintelligence is for you to agree not to build it,” Sacks wrote.
ments will support local economies, help bring more visitors to our state and improve North Carolinians’ health and quality of life.” The program, administered by North Carolina State Parks within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, provides funding for park land acquisitions, new recreational facilities and improvements to existing facilities.
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Some Democrats recalibrating approach to transgender issues as party seeks path to power Voters overwhelmingly oppose transgender athletes in women’s sports, creating political pressure on Democratic candidates By Steve Peoples and Geoff Mulvihill The Associated Press CALIFORNIA GOV. Gavin Newsom does not like being on Donald Trump’s side on any issue. But when it comes to transgender girls and women in sports, particularly at the school level, the Democrat said he largely agrees with the Republican president. Newsom, one of his party’s leading White House prospects, believes it’s “deeply unfair” for people who are assigned male at birth to compete against girls. “I don’t want to be on that side of it, but I’m being honest — I’d be lying to you if I said differently,” Newsom told The Associated Press as he was campaigning recently in South Carolina. “I haven’t been able to figure out how to make it fair from my perspective.” Newsom is not alone. While most Democratic officials remain steadfast supporters of the transgender community, an increasing number in red and blue states are distancing themselves from their party’s unflinching support for the transgender community’s policy priorities, such as allowing athletes to compete on teams that match their gender identity. The shift follows years of conservative attacks against Democrats on the divisive issue, which affects a relatively small number of transgender people and their families, but has emerged as one of Republicans’ most potent political weapons in the Trump era. Soul searching over transgender issues is one facet of a sprawling identity crisis that Democrats are confronting during the midterms and before the next presidential election. Although they risk a backlash from their progressive base, there is also a sense in some corners that the party must evolve on an issue where the overwhelming majority of voters — even many Democrats — agree with Trump. The issue was a central theme for Trump and his Republican allies on the main stage at their midterm convention in Dallas last week, where the president said he hoped Democrats would continue to stand up for transgender girls and women who want to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. “I’m petrified that they’ll change,” he said. “That will really hurt us.” Republicans are already replaying some of the same political attacks they used against Kamala Harris in the presidential campaign two years ago, when they said she’s “for they/them, not you.” Last Friday, they released a new advertisement targeting James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, with the same phrase. Democrats confront difficult political terrain A political group backed by billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk has begun running digital ads targeting Democrats in key Senate races in Texas, Ohio and Alaska, accusing them of allowing men to compete in women’s sports. In Texas’ pivotal Senate contest, the new ad from Musk’s America PAC opens with a video clip of Talarico saying that “God is nonbinary.” Talarico began to distance himself from those positions months ago. He went further in a Fox News interview last week, saying he would vote in favor of a national ban for gender-affirming surgeries for transgender minors, which are rare. “I’ve missed the mark on some of my past statements. I will be the first to admit it,” Talarico said in an interview near the Republican convention site. “I think the reason that politicians
ABBIE PARR / AP PHOTO
People hold signs and point after comments on transgender athletes made by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham before a WNBA game between the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever on Aug. 2 in Minneapolis. that the party can take control of Congress. However, those candidates shouldn’t expect the organization’s endorsement. “While I hope many of them win, I think they can do it without our resources and without our support,” Hack said. Laws changing around country
NELL REDMOND / AP PHOTO
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a rally for democratic candidates Sept. 5 in Monroe. in that convention center across the street want to talk about six sexes is because they don’t want to talk about $6 diesel.” In Iowa, State Auditor Rob Sand, the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, has spoken out against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports as a matter of fairness. Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton has taken a similar position, although she has drawn criticism from the left for adopting Trump’s language after saying she opposed “boys playing in girls’ sports.” And in deep-blue Massachusetts, transgender rights became a defining campaign issue during the state’s recent Democratic U.S. Senate primary, illustrating the potential backlash that party members can face. Sen. Ed Markey, 80, secured the nomination and later credited his win to not shying away from advocating for transgender rights. He used the issue to attack his Democratic opponent, Rep. Seth Moulton, who had said he wouldn’t want his daughters to play against transgender athletes. Moulton apologized for his comments, which drew outrage from some progressives, but the damage was done. While Moulton lost his primary, his position — not Markey’s — is in line with the majority of voters nationally. A June poll from Quinnipiac University found that about 7 in 10 registered voters think transgender women and girls should not be allowed to play on women’s and girls’ sports teams. About one-quarter think they should. Democrats are divided, with about half saying transgender women and girls should be allowed and about half saying they should not. A Pew Research Center poll conducted last year found that just over half, 55%, of Demo-
crats would be “not too” or “not at all” comfortable with athletes playing on teams that don’t match their sex at birth, while 21% said they were “somewhat” comfortable and only 23% said they were “extremely” or “very” comfortable with this. Division among activists Markey’s public commitment to transgender rights stood out because Democratic politicians are increasingly running away from the issue, said Tyler Hack, executive director of the Christopher Street Project, which is dedicated to electing supporters of transgender rights to federal office. “The reality of being a transgender person in America in 2026 is that on election nights, while other folks are talking about who had a good night and who had a bad night, sometimes you are quietly wondering, ‘A m I going to be OK?’” Hack said. At the same time, even transgender activists are divided over supporting Democrats who have positions that are unfriendly to transgender people. Erin Reed, an advocate and independent journalist covering transgender issues, this month put out a guide flagging Democratic candidates who she accused of taking anti-transgender positions. She highlighted 15 states that have such Democrats, saying that she would not vote for the “worst offenders” even if it means a Republican wins. She doesn’t want Democrats to see that “throwing transgender people under the bus is a winning strategy.” “One seat can be won back,” Reed wrote. “A party cannot.” Meanwhile, Hack would probably vote for a Democrat even if that candidate supports some policies the Christopher Street Project opposes, in hopes
The political debate is evolving as transgender people increasingly become the target of conservative backlash through state laws and the Trump administration. Sports participation has become one of the main fronts in a political battle over transgender rights, although most Republican-controlled states have also implemented policies that affect a bigger slice of the population. There are bans on some gender-affirming health care for transgender young people and rules barring transgender people from using the bathrooms that match their gender identity in schools and occasionally other public places. At least 25 states are now enforcing laws or policies banning transgender women and girls from competing in at least some women’s and girls’ sports and three others have adopted laws but have enforcement blocked by the courts. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld state laws barring transgender girls from school teams. Transgender athletes make up a small portion of team rosters. NCAA president Charlie Baker testified in 2024 that he knew of fewer than 10 transgender college student-athletes out of more than 500,000 total. Debate previews 2028 The debate within the Democratic Party heading into the 2026 midterms offers a preview for those Democrats contemplating presidential bids in 2028. Newsom, who is considered a frontrunner in the shadow primary, highlighted his long record of supporting LGBTQ+ priorities, including sanctioning same-sex marriage as the San Francisco mayor decades ago and later appointing the first trans judge in California history. But in sports, he thinks it’s unfair to allow people assigned as males at birth to compete against girls. “It’s a hard issue. I struggle with it,” Newsom said. “I think people know where my heart is, my soul is. I have a trans godson.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another likely Democratic presi-
“The reality of being a transgender person in America in 2026 is that on election nights, while other folks are talking about who had a good night and who had a bad night, sometimes you are quietly wondering, ‘Am I going to be OK?’” Tyler Hack, Executive Director, Christopher Street Project dential contender, has taken the opposite position. He has consistently criticized state-level bans and restrictions on transgender athletes, calling them “bullying” and a “setback for equality.” Following the recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld state bans on transgender athletes, Pritzker, whose cousin is transgender, reaffirmed his position on social media. “There’s a place for you in Illinois,” he wrote. In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro opposes bans on transgender athletes in school sports, which he’s called cruel and designed to discriminate. He argues that athletic participation and eligibility should not be dictated by politicians, but rather handled by local athletic organizations — a stance in line with several LGBTQ+ groups. He’s also raised questions of fairness, however. “Look, I think it’s a tough deal being born into the wrong body. And I don’t think these kids deserve to be persecuted and bullied by the president of the United States,” Shapiro told The Atlantic last year. “I also don’t think they deserve an unfair advantage on the playing field.” Research has been mixed on whether transgender women have advantages in sports, and it depends partly on whether they went through puberty as boys. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is gay and a potential presidential contender, said on Fox earlier in the year that he takes people seriously on both sides of the debate “whether you’re talking about parents who are wondering what this means for fairness for their kids competing, or parents who want to make sure that their kids aren’t being discriminated against and get a chance to participate.” “But I also have to tell you,” he added, “I would be surprised if this is a top three or even a top 10 voter issue in the midterms this year.”
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
OBITUARIES IN MEMORY
GARY WAYNE GARDNER DEC. 26, 1948 – SEPT. 8, 2026 Gary Wayne Gardner went to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at Gary’s beloved church, Anderson Grove Baptist Church with Pastor Drew Edmisten officiating. Burial will take place at a later date. In accordance with Gary’s wishes, there will be no formal visitation. Gary was born on December 26, 1948, in Stanly County to the late JB and Margie Gardner. He is survived by his son, Kevin Gardner and wife Mary of York, SC; grandson, Luke Gardner and wife Molly of Greeneville, SC; grandson, Todd Gardner and wife Morgan of York, SC; granddaughter, Carly Cowell and husband Matthew of Charlotte, NC; granddaughter, Jenna Gardner of York, SC; great-grandsons, Zeke Gardner and Hayes Gardner of Greeneville, SC; and great-grandson, Redd Gardner of York, SC. Gary was a beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He had a generous heart and a gentle spirit, and he cherished nothing more than spending time with his family. His faith was an important part of his life, and he loved his church family at Anderson Grove Baptist Church in Albemarle, NC. Gary also had a lifelong love for his Carolina Tar Heels and especially enjoyed watching them play basketball. He found great satisfaction in gardening and enjoyed the simple pleasure of tending to things and watching them grow. Whether spending time with family, worshipping alongside his church family, working in his garden, or cheering on the Tar Heels, Gary found his greatest joy in life’s simple moments and in the company of those he loved. Gary’s life was a blessing to all who knew him. His love, generosity, faith, and devotion to his family will remain in their hearts, and he will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and church family. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to Anderson Grove Baptist Church in Gary’s memory.
JOYCE SOOTS SMITH MARCH 26, 1937 – SEPT. 12, 2026 Joyce Soots Smith, 89, of Locust, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at her home surrounded by her loving family. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Community Church, with Pastor Steve Jirgal officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:00 until 1:45 p.m. at the church prior to the service. Born March 26, 1937, in Wilkes County, Joyce was the daughter of the late Robert and Cleo Soots. She graduated from Bethel School in Midland, NC. Joyce is lovingly survived by her children, Marian Lambert and Mark Smith; grandchildren, Candice Mullins (Jeremy), Dee Blevins (Scott), Samantha Smith (Nicole), and Allison Smith; great-grandchildren, Boston, Canaan, and Ethan Mullins, Brady Blevins, and Brisen and Lawson Smith; brothers, Ralph Soots (Jane) and Larry Soots; and many nieces, nephew, and their families. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Ray Joel Smith, in 2014; her infant son, Derek Ray Smith; and siblings, Barbara Jean Soots, Robert Soots, Arnold Soots, Richard Soots, and Roger Soots. Joyce was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose family was always at the center of her life. She treasured the time spent with those she loved and took great joy in watching her family grow through the generations. A lifelong member of Community Church, Joyce’s faith was an important part of her life. She especially enjoyed singing in the church choir and treasured the fellowship she shared with her church family. At home, Joyce found happiness in the simple things she loved most. A talented seamstress, she enjoyed crocheting and sewing, as well as spending time outdoors tending to her vegetable garden. She was also an avid Atlanta Braves fan and rarely missed an opportunity to cheer on her favorite team. Joyce enjoyed settling in to watch a good cowboy movie, especially with a bag of her favorite Funyuns close by. These simple pleasures, along with time spent with those she loved, brought much happiness to her life. Joyce will be remembered for the love she gave so freely to her family, her steadfast faith, and the quiet joy she found in caring for the people and things that meant the most to her. Though her presence will be deeply missed, the life she lived and the love she shared will continue through her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all whose lives she touched. Her family finds comfort in knowing that the beautiful legacy she leaves behind will remain in their hearts for generations to come. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff of VIA Health Partners, especially Monica Polston, Ashley Belk, Brittany Hinson, and Tiffany Morris, for the compassionate care and support provided to Joyce during her declining health. A special thank you is also extended to Tracy Nottage and Lisa Auten for the loving home health care and support provided to Joyce and her family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to VIA Health Partners Hospice and Palliative Care, 7845 Little Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28226.
Isao Harimoto, A-bomb survivor and Japan baseball great known as ‘Hit Machine,’ dead at 86 Despite severe childhood burns, he mastered left-handed batting to become one of baseball’s all-time greats By Mari Yamaguchi The Associated Press TOKYO — Isao Harimoto, the baseball great who survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb and still holds Japan’s hits record, has died. He was 86. The Golden Players Club, an organization for elite baseball players, said Harimoto died last Wednesday without specifying the cause of death. Harimoto started his professional baseball career in 1959 when he joined the then-Toei Flyers, who became the Nippon Ham Fighters. He was the first player in Japan to reach the milestone of 3,000 hits in 1980 and finished his career with 3,085. He was nicknamed “Hit Machine.” Born to Korean parents in Hiroshima in 1940, Harimoto as a child overcame a series of difficulties. At age 4, severe burns in his right hand cost him most of its mobility. Harimoto was 5 when he survived the U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japanese city on Aug. 6, 1945. His father died shortly after World War II, and Harimoto’s hard-working mother ran an eatery to support the family. Harimoto started playing baseball as an elementary schoolboy and learned to play left-handed. In middle school, he aspired to be a professional player in the Nippon league to earn enough to give his mother a more comfortable life. He quickly demonstrated his batting prowess. He was the rookie of the year in 1959 with 115 hits, made his first All-Star team in 1960, clinched his first batting title in 1961 and had
Former professional baseball player Isao Harimoto, right, compares the size of his hand with Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters player Shohei Ohtani in Kunigami, Japan, in February 2013.
“As a baseball player, I always worried I might some day develop symptoms of atomic bomb-related illness.” Isao Harimoto, Hall of Famer his first 30-home run season in 1962 when he won his only Japan Series. Harimoto joined the great Sadaharu Oh at the Yomiuri Giants in 1976 and moved to the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1980. There he reached 3,000 career hits and 500 home runs. He retired in 1981. In his 23-year career, Harimoto was an 18-time All-Star who hit 504 home runs and played 2,752 games. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990. After retirement, Harimoto became a popular baseball
commentator known for his straight talk. He was also an anti-war and nuclear disarmament advocate. One day he heard some younger people say they didn’t know that atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In an interview with TBS television, Harimoto described the flash, blast and falling unconscious. His family home was behind a mountain and shielded from the bomb. He woke up in the arms of his bleeding mother. His older sister, near the hypocenter, suffered severe burns and died several days later. Harimoto said he never forgot her painful moaning. “As a baseball player, I always worried I might some day develop symptoms of atomic bomb-related illness,” he said. Harimoto often expressed concern about the aging of the survivors and his determination to keep telling the painful history as “one of the last living messengers.”
Former West Ham, Czech Republic goalkeeper Luděk Mikloško dead at 64 He pioneered the path for Czech goalkeepers to excel in English football
By Karel Janicek The Associated Press
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KYODO NEWS VIA AP
PRAGUE — Former Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic and West Ham goalkeeper Luděk Mikloško has died. He was 64. His death was announced on Monday by his family and by Baník Ostrava, the Czech club where Mikloško spent eight years before moving to England and where he served as sporting director despite fighting cancer the last five years. Mikloško joined West Ham in February 1990, becoming the first Czech to make an impact in English football after the 1989 Velvet Revolution that ended the communist rule in Czechoslovakia, and made 373 appearances for the club. He was voted West Ham’s player of the year following his first season, helping it secure promotion to the English top flight. He was loved by supporters, who would sing at matches
“I decided not to take the chemotherapy, because I want to live a normal life.” Luděk Mikloško, former West Ham goalkeeper “My name is Luděk Mikloško, I come from near Moscow, I play in goal for West Ham.” He could speak only a few English words when he arrived in England. “Rest in peace Luděk, our beloved, inspirational goalkeeper and gentle giant of a man,” West Ham said in a statement. The club said Mikloško will be honored before Tuesday’s League Cup third-round match against Fulham and also the Championship game against Queens Park Rangers on Oct. 9. Mikloško moved to QPR in 1998 before retiring in 2001. Then, he returned to London to coach West Ham’s goalkeepers until 2010. He also played 42 international games for Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic.
Fellow Czech Petr Čech, called him “a goalkeeping legend, brilliant man, one of the nicest people in football.” The former Chelsea and Arsenal keeper said he was grateful Mikloško opened the door to England to other Czech goalkeepers, like him. “We spent time talking about Premier League and English football when I came to Chelsea and his insight helped me to understand what’s awaiting — I used it well!” During his last visit to England in December 2024 to attend a game against Liverpool at the London Stadium, Mikloško confirmed he was diagnosed with cancer and said in a statement he decided to withdraw from treatment. “I decided not to take the chemotherapy, because I want to live a normal life,” he said. “I have very good people around me, and I have my work and my football, which is my life, all I have known. I want to keep doing that for as long as I can.” Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak, a die-hard Baník Ostrava fan, joined the mourners. “We’ll never forget. ... You were fighting till the end.”
STANLY SPORTS
COURTESY DAWN LUCAS PHOTOGRAPHY
North Stanly’s Malakhi Blackmon prepares for the snap during the Comets’ matchup with West Stanly on Aug. 28.
North Stanly set to face fellow unbeaten Mountain Island Charter The Comets face their toughest test yet in Mount Holly
win of the season.
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
Three games into the 2026 season, the North Stanly Comets (3-0) have outscored their opponents 114-42 heading into their Week 5 matchup with the Mountain Island Charter Raptors (3-0) in Mount Holly. The defending Yadkin Valley Conference champions are halfway to matching the six-game winning streak that opened last year’s 10-2 campaign. Mountain Island Charter, which has scored more
ALBEMARLE — Three of Stanly County’s four football teams — North Stanly, South Stanly and Albemarle — return to action this Friday after a bye week, while the fourth, West Stanly, gets the week off following a loss. One of those squads is looking to stay undefeated as another is searching for its first
North Stanly at Mountain Island Charter
than 40 points in each of its past two games, could provide North Stanly’s toughest test yet. Sophomore running back R.J. Brooks has powered the Comets’ offense with five touchdowns while averaging 199 rushing yards per game. He will test a Raptors defense that has held every opposing running back to fewer than 85 yards this season. Bonnie Cone Leadership at South Stanly South Stanly will search for its first victory when the win-
less Rowdy Rebel Bulls (0-3) host Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy on Friday. The Eagles (0-3) have been shut out twice and lost their other game by 28 points. After finishing 8-3 last season without losing a regular-season game by more than six points, South Stanly has stumbled out of the gate. The Bulls will try to regain momentum before YVC play begins later this month. Offensive struggles have contributed to the slow start, as South Stanly was shut out 27-0 at Anson in its most recent game after scoring only six points at Piedmont the previous week. The upcoming matchup could provide an opportunity to get back on track. Albemarle at Thomas Jefferson Classical After falling 20-6 at home to Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy last season, the Albemarle Bulldogs (1-2) will travel to Mooresboro for this year’s
West Stanly falls to Central in 34-28 thriller The Eagles scored late to slip past the Colts in Red Cross
Rushing yards per game for North Stanly’s R.J. Brooks this season
rematch against the Gryphons (1-2). The Bulldogs have suffered double-digit losses at Chase and West Stanly since opening the season with a home victory over The College Prep and Leadership Academy. Friday’s matchup will be their third consecutive road game. Albemarle’s uneven start resembles last season’s 5-7 campaign, which featured multiple two-game winning streaks and a four-game skid. Holding an opportunity to capitalize, the Bulldogs will now face a Gryphons offense that has scored fewer than 14 points in each of its past two games.
350
Rushing yards allowed by West Stanly’s defense
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal RED CROSS — West Stanly’s football team suffered its first home loss of the season Friday night, falling 34-28 to Central in a back-and-forth matchup in Red Cross. Hosting their nonconference opponent from Pageland, South Carolina, the Colts (2-2) held two separate leads and rallied from behind in the second half as they managed to keep up with a team that beat them 35-14 last season. In the fourth quarter, however, the Eagles (3-0) broke a 28-28 tie with a late rushing touchdown to secure their road victory. The thriller featured three lead changes as West Stanly tried to hand Central its first loss of the year. West Stanly built a 14-0 advantage early in the second quarter before Central responded with 21 unanswered points. The Eagles scored twice before halftime to pull even at 14-14, wiping away the Colts’ early cushion before the break. Central then took its first lead
199
COURTESY LESLIE GRANT PHOTOGRAPHY
West Stanly’s Zayden Thomas (10) extends for a catch during the Colts’ home loss to Central last Friday night. of the night with another touchdown in the third quarter, moving ahead 21-14. West Stanly answered quickly as two third-quarter touchdowns pushed the Colts back in front 28-21 before Central tied
the game again at 28-28 before the end of the period. Central controlled much of the game on the ground, totaling 350 rushing yards and averaging 6.7 yards per carry on the way to five rushing touchdowns.
Quarterback Dwayne Louallen Jr. rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Marzavious Allen carried 26 times for 215 yards and a score. West Stanly junior quarterback Brody Clontz accounted for
three rushing touchdowns while completing 9 of 17 passes for 128 yards with one interception. Senior running back Sam DeFreitas led the Colts with 53 rushing yards on nine carries, while junior Holden Pope added 37 yards on five attempts. Senior receiver Zayden Thomas paced the passing game with three catches for 67 yards. Defensively, junior Mason Jackson led West Stanly with 16 tackles. Jairo Acosta and Cooper Hatley combined for 21 more stops. The loss dropped the Colts back to .500 after they entered the night coming off a 30-12 home victory over Albemarle. West Stanly will have a bye week before traveling to Ramseur on Sept. 25 to face Eastern Randolph (2-2) in its final nonconference game of the regular season. Rocky River Conference play begins Oct. 2 at home against Anson (3-1). The Colts will look to improve on last season’s 0-5 conference record after finishing 2-10 overall during a difficult 2025 campaign.
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
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Hockey player, coach, broadcaster Melrose dead at age 70 Barry Melrose, a hockey player-turned-coach who led the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final before going on to a long career in broadcasting the sport, died at 70. ESPN announced Melrose’s death last Wednesday after his wife informed the network. Melrose stepped away from the role in 2023 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. From Kelvington, Saskatchewan, the hard-nosed defenseman played more than 300 games in the NHL after nearly 200 in the World Hockey Association.
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Jefferson-Wooden clocks 21.47 in 200 at Ultimate, fourth-fastest time in history Budapest, Hungary Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ran the fourth-fastest women’s 200-meter time in history, 21.47 seconds, to wrap up a $300,000 weekend by completing the sprint double at Ultimate Championships. Jefferson-Wooden looked shocked when she saw the time. “Wow!” she said before heading to the winner’s circle to scoop up her second winner’s trophy in two nights. In the men’s race, Kenny Bednarek also completed the double, winning his 200 in 21.52 seconds.
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Red Wings strip Larkin of captaincy after trade request; center will attend training camp Detroit Dylan Larkin is expected to be on the ice for Detroit Red Wings training camp. But he is no longer their captain after asking for a trade this past spring. The team announced it had stripped Larkin of the “C” he wore on his jersey for the past six seasons. Larkin asked for a trade after Detroit failed to make the playoffs for a 10th consecutive year. The Red Wings said any decisions about Larkin’s future would be made by the next person in charge of hockey operations.
PWHL
PWHL lands first season-long U.S. national broadcast deal with Scripps Sports The newly expanded PWHL enters its fourth year with its first season-long U.S. national broadcast deal after partnering with Scripps Sports. Scripps broadcast a select number of regular-season games followed by the entire Walter Cup Finals playoff series last season. It opens the PWHL to reaching more than 128 million U.S. households, with games being aired on ION. Scripps will produce and televise a game of the week each Saturday for ION. The Scripps Sports Network, meantime, will also broadcast two national games per week.
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Larson ends 51-race winless streak, boosts Cup title hopes in Hendrick 1-2 finish at Gateway The crash-filled race shook up the playoff standings By Jeff Latzke The Associated Press MADISON, Ill. — Kyle Larson ended a 51-race winless streak Sunday, edging Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman in overtime of a crash-filled NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway that shook up the playoff standings. Larson, the defending series champion, took his No. 5 Chevrolet to Victory Lane for the first time since May 2025 at Kansas Speedway after defending the lead on three restarts in the final two laps of regulation and seven laps of overtime. The second race in the Cup Series’ new postseason Chase format gave significant boosts to the championship hopes for Larson and Joey Logano, a three-time Cup Series champion who finished third and added 19 stage points.
18
Cautions in the race, a track record
What was supposed to be a 240-lap race in suburban St. Louis featured a season-high and track-record 18 cautions. It was marked by dramatic brake failures and several spinouts without any contact between cars. After several Chase contenders were involved in late crashes, the race was red-flagged with 11 laps to go, just after Larson swiped the lead from Logano, and again with two left in regulation. Larson benefited from his crew’s decision on lap 202 to put four tires on while Logano took two to maintain track position. Hendrick’s William Byron, who was last in the 16-driver Chase field, finished fourth and
was followed by Ross Chastain. Denny Hamlin, the defending race champion, placed ninth to maintain his points lead. Crashes impact Chase competitors A series of final-stage crashes had significant Chase implications. On Lap 141, Bubba Wallace dove under Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota going into Turn 1, creating four-wide traffic on Gateway’s tighter series of turns. Briscoe had no room to move up the track, and Wallace spun around after he was forced onto the curb. Briscoe also went sideways, and Byron slammed into Wallace’s spinning No. 23 Toyota. The three — each of them in the 16-driver Chase field — dropped into positions 29-31 on the restart, and the impacts could have reached even further. Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, and Ty Gibbs were also racing in the same pack, and Chase Elliott was able to squeeze under Wal-
lace as he whirled around entering the backstretch. On Lap 213, Elliott had an apparent brake issue and collected Briscoe as both crashed into the wall in Turn 1. Both were knocked out of the race. Then, the contenders who escaped danger earlier got caught up in another collision on Lap 222. Wallace and Josh Berry made contact in Turn 1, and Tyler Reddick slammed into Berry as Christopher Bell got slammed into the wall. On the ensuing restart, Gibbs and Daniel Suarez sustained damage in a wreck on the backstretch that also involved AJ Allmendinger. Blaney’s brakes break Blaney, who was third in the Chase entering the race, had a catastrophic brake failure at the finish line on Lap 155 while he was running in sixth place. Blaney’s brakes exploded on the frontstretch, and he rode his No. 12 Ford into the wall heading into Turn 1.
Blaney finished 35th but earned 14 points from ending each of the first two stages in fourth place. “It’s a shame,” Blaney said. “I thought we did a great job today running up towards the front and doing really good in the stages and was looking forward to seeing how that last run played out.” Chris Buescher, who was 11th in the standings, had his brakes fail on Lap 237. No revenge for Keselowski Despite failing to qualify for the postseason, Keselowski found himself in the spotlight after indicating he’d seek out retribution against Chase contender Carson Hocevar, who spun him out in last week’s Southern 500. The two played nice while running in second and third place in the final stage of the race, and Keselowski ended up in the lead when he decided not to pit with 38 laps to go before finishing 12th. Hocevar was eighth.
CONNOR HAMILTON / AP PHOTO
Kyle Larson celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Madison, Illinois.
Johnson wants Bears’ offense to be top-scoring in NFL history Chicago scored at will in its 59-37 season-opening win over the Panthers By Steve Reed The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson said last month that winning the Super Bowl isn’t enough for him. He wants to have the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. If the Bears can put together more weeks like their opener, that goal will be within reach. Chicago scored eight touchdowns in a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It was the most points in a season opener in the Bears’ long, proud history and tied for the second-most points by a team in Week 1, behind only the 1973 Falcons, who put up 62 on the Saints. And here’s the funny thing: The Bears were far from perfect. They started the game with a fumble, had some costly penalties and even turned the ball over on downs deep in their
SCOTT KINSER / AP PHOTO
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on during the first half of the win over the Panthers. own territory. Still, they put up 552 yards — including 291 on the ground — and scored two touchdowns in every quarter. D’Andre Swift paced the running game with 124 yards and three touchdowns. “That’s amazing,” Swift said of the team’s scoring output. “But to come out of a game like that and have so much to clean up. ... I mean, yeah, we’ll take
the win, and 59 points is amazing, but it should have been worse.” That’s the mentality Johnson has instilled in his team: They truly think they’re going to score on every possession. Before the season, he told The Athletic his goal is “to have the highest-scoring offense ever.” That’s why none of his players were surprised when Johnson
went for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 21 in the second quarter with the Bears leading 21-14. It backfired as Caleb Williams came up short on a quarterback sneak, and the Panthers capitalized with a touchdown. Johnson wouldn’t call it a mistake. When asked if he would do it again, he said it depended on the situation. The Bears seem to thrive off Johnson’s aggressive mentality. Williams, who threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards and two more scores, wasn’t surprised Johnson went for it — and hopes he tries it again. “Yeah, we got to go get (the first down) — that’s what it says to us,” Williams said. “As players on the field, when coach has that belief, when coach has that trust, when coach has that faith and all of that in us, we have to go get it as players when he calls it. It doesn’t matter what the play is. It’s a mentality play when you’re fourth-and-1. That’s what it comes down to.” After the game, Johnson didn’t back down from his stated aspirations. “Listen, that will always be the goal — we want to be the highest-scoring, we want to have the most wins, we want to win Super Bowls,” Johnson said. “Like, that’s what we do. We didn’t get into this profession trying to be mediocre, average.” The 2013 Denver Broncos, led by MVP Peyton Manning,
“That’s what we do. We didn’t get into this profession trying to be mediocre, average.” Ben Johnson, Bears coach scored the most points in an NFL season with 603, an average of 37.6 points per game. That was when the NFL played a 16-game season. Teams now play 17. Johnson said he expects Sunday’s game will be the Bears’ worst of the season. He expects them to get better each week. But he was encouraged by how his players handled the early adversity of turning the ball over on their first possession. “We talked about weathering the storm there early on,” Johnson said. “We had some adversity on that first drive, and yet no one blinks. No one bats an eye. And so that’s probably what I’m most proud of there.” The players know all about Johnson’s goal of becoming the league’s most prolific offense. “That’s what we’re striving for,” receiver Rome Odonze said. “We have heard the head of the snake, Ben Johnson, say he wants to be the most prolific offense in history and that takes that attention to detail. … So we are all bought in to that and trying to accomplish that.”
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
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CREW CAB DRIVE SILVER LEATHER $24,995 4X4 FX4 OFF RD PKG MED RED 22K 2019 FORD FUSION SE 4CLY 65K RUBY RED .....................................................29,995 MET NICE AND SHARP ONLY .......... $18,995 2020 CHEVY SILVERADO CREW CAB 2019 3 PREMIUM LEATHER Z71 MAZDA 4X4 LEATHER 6.2 ENG 4X4 SUNROOF DIAMOND WHITE 43K ...............................................TOO LATE! JUST 2020....................................... FORD F150 XLT CREW CAB$19,995 4X4 “RED” 5.0 V8 ENGINE “PRICED” 2019 TOYOTA CAMRY SE 4CLY POWER SEAT .....................................................22,995 PRETTY BLUE SPORT WHEELS ....... $19,995 2019 TOYOTA RAV4 XLE ALL WHEEL 2019 HONDA CIVIC LX WHITE DRIVE SUPER WHITE 67K NICE 24,995 LOCAL 1 OWNER TRADE NEW TIRES 2018 LEXUS RX 350L EMINENT WHITE JUST ....................................... $12,995 V6 MOONROOF NAV LEATHER .......TOO 2018 FORD EXPLORER XLT V6 LEATHER LATE! SILVER “LOWCOLORADO MILES 21K” LT ........ 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LATE! $18,995 ...............................................TOO 2018TOYOTA KIA SOUL 4CLYDOUBLE MED GRAY 2017 TACOMA CAB 92K LOCAL 4X4 TRADE “BEST BUY” ......10,995 LIMITED WHITE 70K ............... $34,995 2017TOYOTA TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2017 HIGHLANDER XLELIMITED LEATHER BLIZZARD PEARL 98K $26,995 SILVER 3RD SEAT 79KAWD LOOKV6 .......... ...............................................TOO LATE! 2016 FORD F150 CREW CAB XLT V6 WHITE BLACK 2017 HONDA RIDGELINE RTL-T ALL POWER CHROME WHEELS ....... $21,995 DIAMOND 27K LOCAL 1 OWNER 2016 FORD F150 CREW CAB XLT V6 RUBY .....................................................25,995 RED 112K 2 WHEEL DRIVE............. $19,995 2017 CHEV COLORADO Z71 EXTENDED CABHONDA 4X4 V6CRV WHITE 60K.............23,995 2016 TOURING 2016 TOYOTA XLE 4CLY TAN WHITE DIAMONDCAMRY 77K LEATHER DIAMOND WHITE 116K$19,995 LEATHER SUNROOF ..................... .....................................................15,995 2016 HONDA ACCORD EX MED GRAY 4CLY 2014 FORD F150 XLT CREW CAB V6 71K 1 OWNER HARD TO FIND ......... $18,995 SILVER 94K “CHECK HER OUT” 2016 HONDA CRV SE AWD SILVER 107K ...............................................TOO LATE! 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2013 HONDA ACCORD EXL V6 LEATHER PEARL WHITED 125K NOTICE OF........................... FORECLOSURE SALE $12 ,995hours as provided in N.C.G.S. §45LOCAL TRADE 21.23.
2010 FORD26SP000013-830 F150 LARIAT Should the property be CREW CAB DIAMOND WHITE 5.4 ENG Under and by virtue of the “THE KIND” .............................. $17,995purchased by a third party, that party power of sale contained in a certain
By fee simple Deed from Robert Lee Gallimore, Sr. and wife, Patricia W. Gallimore as set forth in Book 642, Page 621, dated 9-22-1997 and recorded 9-22-97, Stanly County Records, State of North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three
NOTICE
The undersigned has qualified as Executor of the Estate of DELORES BURLESON KIMMER, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina (Stanly County File Number 26E000027-830). This is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said decedent or her estate to present the same duly itemized and verified to the undersigned Executor or her Attorney on or before the 9th day of December 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the decedent or to her estate are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Executor or her attorney. This the 4th day of September 2026. CRYSTAL MISENHEIMER EUDY Executor ESTATE OF DELORES BURLESON KIMMER 1911 Midwood Drive, Apt. 1 Albemarle, NC 28001 CHARLES P. BROWN BROWN & SENTER, P.L.L.C. PO Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 28002-0400 Telephone: 704 982-2141 Facsimile: 704 982-0902 PUBLISH: September 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2026
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000292-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Tammy E. Evans deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Tammy E. Evans to present them to the undersigned on or before December 4, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 2nd day of September 2026. Brianna L. Brown 3310 Dunn Commons Parkway Apt. 201 Charlotte, NC 28216 Executor
NOTICE
2014 BUICK LACROSSE V6 CXL LEATHER SEATS CHAMPAGNE COLOR “66K”...................................... $16,995
Deed of Trust made by Sherry G. Harris and Tracy R. Harris (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Sherry G. Harris) to B. Hill, Trustee(s), dated June 21, 2004, and recorded in Book No. 1005, at Page 0916 in Stanly County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds Stanly County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on September 23, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Norwood in the County of Stanly, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain parcel of land in E. Center Township, Stanley County, State of North Carolina, as more fully described in Book 642, Page 621, ID#47277, being known and designated as Lot 724, fifth addition to Tillery Beach Subdivision, filed in Plat Book 1, Page 219. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1050 Berry Hill Drive, Norwood, North Carolina.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government. If you are the successful bidder in this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition
prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Foundation Legal Group P.O. Box 1028 Fayetteville, NC 28302 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Phone No: (910)864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Firm Case No: 28369 - 145077
Estate of: Stella Redfearn Dase Case Number:26E000381-830 Court: Stanly County Clerk of Superior Court NOTICE TO CREDITORS All persons having claims against the Estate of STELLA REDFEARN DASE are hereby notified that all claims must be presented to the Personal Representative, through the attorney listed below, on or before November 26, 2026, or the claims will be forever barred. Claims should be delivered to: Attorney for the Executor: Charles W. Parnell, Jr. Parnell & Scales Law Office P.O. Box 2300 Albemarle, NC 28002 Phone: (704) 985-1332
NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF STANLY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION FILE NO. 25CV001704-830 LOOM CAPITAL, LLC, (NC DOI LICENSE #513030453), Plaintiff, Vs. KENNETH WAYNE RIDENHOUR, Defendant. TO: KENNETH WAYNE RIDENHOUR TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: The Plaintiff is seeking a Judgment against you for monies owed, as a result of default under the terms of an installment sale contract. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than October 12, 2026. Upon your failure to do so, the Plaintiff will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This law firm is a debt collector within the meaning of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This communication is an attempt to collect a debt, and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. This the 27th day of August, 2026. Pamela P. Keenan Kirschbaum, Nanney, Keenan & Griffin, P.A. Attorney for Plaintiff Post Office Box 19806 Raleigh, NC 27619 (919) 848-9640 The Stanley News-Journal: 9/2/26, 9/9/26 & 9/16/26.
PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Town of Oakboro will hold a Public Hearing at Oakboro Town Hall located at 109 N Main Street, Oakboro, NC 28129 on Monday, September 21, 2026 at 7:00pm. The purpose of this hearing is to hear comments for, or against, a voluntary annexation request for three contiguous lots on East Tenth Street/East Eighth Street, PINs are 650403322021, 650403323018, 650403314728. The properties are located within the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) of Oakboro and are zoned R20. Further information is available at Oakboro Town Hall. Any person wishing to speak should plan to attend the Public Hearing. Leslie Hatley-Murray Town Clerk
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000411-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Co-Administrator of the Estate of Reinhart Koschatzky deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Reinhart Koschatzky to present them to the undersigned on or before December 9, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 9th day of September 2026. Renee Misenheimer 42615 Caudle Road Richfield, NC 28137 Co-Administrator Ryan Koschatzky 1017 Hornbuckle Ct. Wake Forest, NC 27587 Co-Administrator
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000377-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Richard F. Hayes, Jr. a/k/a Richard Floyd Hayes, Jr. deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Richard F. Hayes, Jr. a/k/a Richard Floyd Hayes, Jr to present them to the undersigned on or before November 27, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 26th day of August 2026. Melony S. Doyle 151 Anderson Road Albemarle, NC 28001 Executor
NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF STANLY 26E000213-830 In the Matter of the Estate Of Steven Chase Coleman NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Steven Chase Coleman deceased, this is to notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the said decedent to exhibit them to the Stanly County Clerk of Court on or before December 20, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to said estate are notified to make immediate payment. This the 16th day of September, 2026. Elana Coleman Administrator Brian P. Hayes Attorney Ferguson Hayes Hawkins, PLLC P. O. Box 444 Concord, NC 28026
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000368-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Theresa M Cutrone, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Theresa M Cutrone to present them to the undersigned on or before December 4, 2026, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 2nd day of September, 2026. Joseph Esposito 47 Church Street, Apt. 2E Malverne, NY 11565 Executor Information John W Webster 146 North 4th Street Albemarle, NC 28001 Attorney Information
Stanly News Journal 704-982-2121
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
the stream Elisabete Wagner attends the premiere of Prime Video’s “Neagley” at Metrograph in New York on Sept. 8.
ANDY KROPA / INVISION VIA AP
‘Dancing with the Stars,’ Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Tony,’ ‘Marvel’s Wolverine’ video game Season six of “Slow Horses” is now streaming on Apple TV The Associated Press THE RETURN of “Dancing with the Stars” and a new album from Luke Bryan are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: A new album from Carly Rae Jepsen, RuPaul in “Stop That Train” and “Marvel’s Wolverine” video game. MOVIES TO STREAM It can be easy to miss some of the late summer standouts in theaters, but a number of them have landed on premium video-on-demand. Matt Johnson’s “Tony,” starring Dominic Sessa as a young Anthony Bourdain, is a charming coming-of-age tale set over a 1970s summer on Cape Cod. Alexander Ullom’s “It Ends” is about friends on a late-night food run who become trapped on an infinite highway. And David Robert Mitchell’s “The End of Oak Street” is an Amblin-inspired suburban romp, with family drama and dinosaurs. “Stop That Train” (Sunday on Netflix) stars RuPaul as the American president, and “Drag Race” alumni Ginger Minj and Jujubee play stewardesses on a train, the Glamazonian Express. Such is the setup of this bonkers comedy from “Hairspray” director Adam Shankman about a train speeding toward disaster. Very possibly the best movie I’ve seen in 2026 first came out in 1970. Satyajit Ray’s “Days and Nights in the Forest” has long been unavailable, unlike some of the Bengali master director’s other films. But a restoration released earlier this year revived a too-little-seen masterwork. It’s now streaming on the Criterion Channel, with an introduction from Wes Anderson. In it, three privileged bachelors from the city vacation in a rural Indian district populated by Santhals, an Indigenous group. Their interactions with the locals, as well as an elegant young woman (a beguiling Sharmila Tagore) visiting a family house, in ways both small and profound traverse chasms of caste, class and gender.
ARLYN MCADOREY / THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP
Gary Oldman poses on the red carpet for “Slow Horses” at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11. MUSIC TO STREAM He knows what works, and that’s what he continues to provide. Country all-star Bryan will release his ninth studio album, “Signs,” on Friday — a 12-track collection of radio-ready classics. In her review, AP music writer Maria Sherman wrote, “The medium is the message: These are feel-good tracks meant to warm the listener, from the crush-worthy “Country and She Knows It” to the cheeky “Fish Hunt Golf Drink” and beyond.” Anthrax — one of the “Big Four” leaders of the thrash metal scene alongside Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer — is back with the band’s first album in a decade. “Cursum Perficio,” out Friday, follows 2016’s “For All Kings” and promises huge riffs and venomous vocals. Start with the nearly seven-minute face-melter “The Edge of Perfection.” Jepsen returns with a double album, “Day & Night,” also out Friday. For those who really, really, really like her energetic synth-pop, you’ll want to jump straight to the second half. The first is full of psychedelic flair, with dreamy ’70s references instead of her familiar dance-pop. Together, they make for a dy-
JOHN AMIS / AP PHOTO
Luke Bryan arrives on the red carpet for Alan Jackson’s farewell concert, “Last Call: One More for the Road — The Finale,” on June 27 in Nashville, Tennessee. Bryan’s new album, “Signs,” will be released Friday. namic listen from an evolving performer. SERIES TO STREAM “Dancing with the Stars” cha-chas back to TV on Disney+. Episodes are also streaming on Hulu. This time, experienced dancers like Jenna Dewan (who starred in “Step Up”) and Julia Stiles (who starred in “Save the Last Dance”) compete against novice dancers like Maura Hig-
gins (“Love Island” and “Traitors”), Tatyana Ali (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) and Ciara Miller (“Summer House”). Time will tell if this 35th season will be as popular as last year’s go-round, which delivered the show’s strongest overall ratings since 2019 and its best season finale in 10 years. Apple TV premiered season six of its spy hit “Slow Horses,” starring Gary Oldman. The new episodes are adapted from Mick
Herron’s sixth and seventh books in his “Slough House” series. Olivia Cooke’s Sid Baker resurfaces after she supposedly died from a gunshot wound to the head. A “Reacher” spinoff called “Neagley” launches with Maria Sten (Frances Neagley) as the star of the Chicago-set show. Instead of being someone who attracts trouble like Jack Reacher, Neagley is a private investigator who chooses her battles. The series is on Prime Video, along with “Reacher”’s Season 4 finale. The Sega arcade game “Golden Axe” has been adapted into an adult animated series for Paramount+. All 10 episodes are now streaming. The voice cast includes 2026 Emmy winner Matthew Rhys, Danny Pudi (“Community”), and Lisa Gilroy (“The Paper”). Ella Beatty is the first female “Monster” in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s anthology series for Netflix. She stars as Lizzie Borden, who was accused of killing her father and stepmother in the late 1800s. It premieres Thursday. VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY “Marvel’s Wolverine” is probably the crankiest of our major superheroes, but it doesn’t make him any less beloved. In this new game, he’s dragged back into action by Team X to fight a corporation that’s bent on kidnapping and eliminating mutants. Turns out old Logan’s surliness has some benefits, thanks to a “rage mode” that makes him deadlier as he gets angrier. Expect cameos from the likes of Mystique, Sabretooth and Jean Grey in an adventure that bounces from Canada to Japan and beyond. Sony’s in-house studio Insomniac Games has developed three terrific Spider-Man titles, so the expectations for this piece of the Marvel Universe are high. The claws come out on PlayStation 5. In Nintendo’s “Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave,” four fighters aim to test their mettle in the Heroic Games. If you’re a fan of this franchise, though, you’re probably craving something other than solo gladiatorial combat. Indeed, each of the four heroes has a story to tell as they explore the sprawling Dagdan Empire, diving into dungeons and recruiting allies with the goal of eventually defeating a demon god. That means a lot more of the tactical, turn-based team combat that has made previous Fire Emblem epics so addictive. Start rallying your troops Thursday on Switch 2.
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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
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